----- Original Message -----
From: John Connell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 1999 4:06 PM
Subject: Re: [newbie] KDE
> I keep reading--"never surf the web for security reasons." Just exactly
what
> type of security risks are we talking about here? Maybe a dumb question
but
> a legitimate one. Please help me with my ignorance!
> John
>
>
As a normal user, if someone tries to maliciously hack your pc while you are
online, the damage will be minimal; only affecting what that normal user has
access to, which isn't enough to destroy your system. On the other hand, if
you are root, this malicious hacker will have possible access to your entire
system. The consequences could be as simple as you having to reconfigure
your system, to a full reinstall, or even trashing your pc for good. That
is enough reason to not go online as root, even if you do take precautions.
It is also the reason that many of us decided to go with linux as opposed to
Windows. Although there are a lot of ways to protect yourself on windows
when you are online, it is pretty much comparable to being online in linux
as root. I'm am commenting only on what I have read, luckily not from
experience.
Manny Styles
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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